Hennadii Afanasiev was commemorated in Kyiv on the tenth anniversary of the occupation of Crimea

On February 20, the event “Decade of occupation. Heroes of Ukrainian Crimea: Hennadii Afanasiev” was held in Kyiv space PEN Ukraine, where Afanasiev’s heroic contribution to the struggle for free Crimea and Ukraine was mentioned.

The organisers were PEN Ukrainian, Human Rights Centre ZMINA and Center for Civil Liberties. February 20 is considered the day of the beginning of the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, so the organisers decided to tell about it through the story of one of the brave Crimeans who defended Ukraine at the cost of his own will and life.

The moderator of the event, Liudmyla Yankina, the project coordinator at ZMINA, reminded that Afanasiev was illegally detained and convicted by the occupying authorities of the peninsula on charges of terrorism. The activist spent 767 days in Russian captivity, where he was tortured. After returning home, Afanasiev joined human rights rallies and the struggle for the release of other Kremlin prisoners on international platforms, and from the first day of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, he took up arms. The activist died on December 18, 2022 near Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region.

The head of the Center for Civil Liberties, Oleksandra Matviichuk, spoke about her acquaintance with Hennadii, about his struggle for other political prisoners, and also read his letter from prison, in which he hopes to return to Ukraine and talks about his struggle even in captivity.

Liudmyla Yankina

The permanent representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea, Tamila Tasheva, who contributed to Afanasiev’s release, said that this release was a celebration for the whole society, but the activist immediately informed his colleagues that he was not going to rest and remain silent, because it was very important for him to have a chance to try to release others prisoners.

“He was a person who loved life very much. He enjoyed the usual simple things. He really loved his family”, Tasheva said.

Olha Afanasieva, mother of Hennadii, remembered her son during the event through her own unpublished stories, in particular about the beginning of the occupation of Crimea. Hennadii’s widow Liudmyla Afanasieva asked the audience who they would be if they had not known the activist:

“Would your position regarding Ukraine be as strong as it is now? Would you have the courage to say what you think? Would you be honest with yourself? I can say about myself: Hennadii definitely changed my life – two times when he came into my life and when he left it. All these 10 years of war, he was responsible, he understood that our generation is responsible”.

Liudmyla Afanasieva

At the commemoration evening, excerpts from the activist’s book “Rise after a Fall” were also read, which contains Afanasiev’s memoirs about being in a Russian prison. Those present also watched fragments of his last and still unpublished video interview recorded at the front.

The organisers of the event call for signing a petition to grant the title of Hero of Ukraine to Hennadii Afanasiev. In addition, during the event, participants could write letters to Kremlin prisoners as part of the “Letters to a Free Crimea” campaign. The purpose of the action is to remind Ukrainians about the Crimeans who gave their freedom for a free Crimea and need support in prison. Details of the event and instructions for writing letters are here.

Watch the full video from the broadcast of the event (in Ukrainian).

All photos in the material – Artem Halkin